Placement Reflections Feed

On aging and succession planning in ministry

2011-08-17T09:06:00.000-05:00

I pointed out Collin Hansen's great article on the Gospel Coalition website about succession planning last month. Hansen has posted on the topic again, this time with a video of three significant men in evangelical ministry today -- Tim Keller, Don Carson, and John Piper -- discussing aging and how is has impacted their own thoughts about succession planning.

Congregations: do you have an aging pastor? Has your leadership had frank discussions with him about how he (and they) are planning together for how this will inevitably take place?

I would strongly urge pastors (especially aging pastors) to watch this video together with their leadership as a discussion-starter for this needed conversation.

Piper Talks with Carson, Keller About Succession Plans at Bethlehem from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

HT to Collin Hansen; read his observations about the video here.

Moving far from home, part 3

2011-08-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

I've been doing a short series on the difficulties of moving far from "home" and family, and how some have dealt with it. (Read part one and part two.)

Back to my friend "Brian" who lives in Colorado, and his family is in South Carolina. Here's another observation Brian had, this time about his children's relationship with their grandparents.

Brian has several children, so naturally his parents (and his wife's parents) try to come visit as often as they can. Brian's wife has a sister who still lives in their hometown, so there's an interesting contrast between how Brian's mother-in-law and father-in-law relate to his children in comparison to his nieces and nephews.

Here's what Brian has noticed: his in-laws are a part of the "regular life" of his nieces and nephews. Because they live in the same town, the in-laws can attend school functions, recitals, etc., and see the kids on a regular basis. At the same time, the nature of "regular life" is such that they rarely get extended, uninterrupted time with their grandchildren.

On the other hand, when the in-laws come out Brian's way, they have regularly kept the kids home from school, and Brian has taken a few vacation days. Brian's family gives their undivided attention to his in-laws, as much as possible.

The contrast is significant. In a recent conversation with his mother-in-law, Brian and his wife learned that they (his in-laws) feel like they know Brian's children better, and that the children know them better, than their other grandchildren-- because Brian and his family live far away.

Obviously this would not be the case if Brian's in-laws were unable (because of schedule, money, health, etc.) to travel the great distance to see Brian's family. But since they are, in their case at least this is a surprising answer to what is surely a great concern for many.

For All the Saints endorsement/review

2011-08-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

My fellow PCA pastor Ron Steel was kind enough to send me this warm review/endorsement for my little book, For All the Saints: praying for the church.

Ed Eubanks is wise to tremble, as he says, at the prospect of writing a book on prayer, but I am glad that the women’s prayer ministry at his church in western Tennessee prevailed upon him to set aside his understandable timidity and write this practical little treatise on praying for the church. The topics covered in the space of just 88 pages range widely over a number of arenas needing focused intercession from “all the saints”. Prayer in behalf of Christ’s church is both our great privilege and the source of spiritual power in being and doing all that our Sovereign Lord has designed and destined the church to be and do. Some of these areas of focus in prayer include unity, the ministry of Word and Sacrament, church discipline and restoration, fellowship and growth, the lost, renewal and revival, suffering, church leadership and the return of Christ. The section at the end of each chapter called “prayer summary” is worth the price of the book. Together these sections compose an impressive prayer list for those committed to upholding their church in prayer. Few have been able to compose something on prayer that is sensitive to the theology of prayer while being intensely practical in providing specific guidance in what to pray. Many will find, as I have, this little book to be large in usefulness."
Ronald Steel
recently Senior Pastor of Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church, Ballwin, Missouri.

Thanks Ron!

Challenging the conventional wisdom on Ministerial Calls

2011-08-02T17:38:00.000-05:00

Carl Trueman posted a couple of shorter pieces on the Reformation 21 blog back in June (Some Questions and Thoughts on Ministerial Calls part one and part two), in which he challenged our usual approach and practice to identifying a "pastoral call" in candidates and churches.

Trueman observes that the practice often is in conflict with similar practices in other parts of our congregational life:

I have often wondered why it is in Presbyterian circles (and probably other churches too) that we routinely call men in their twenties, straight from seminary, to be ministers when we would never dream of calling someone of such an age to be a ruling elder. It seems odd to apply the biblical norms only to the latter.

I think he is more right than wrong here. I know at Covenant Seminary, where I studied, there is a requirement that a man must have at least three years of pastoral ministry behind him before beginning a Doctor of Ministry program; I have wondered why a similar requirement is not made for those who would enter the ministry. Why not at least one or the other of the following: either several years of work experience in secular employment, or several years of ministry experience as an intern, pastoral assistant, or non-ordained ministry position?

Trueman goes on to point out that, too often, churches and presbyteries simply rely on seminaries to do their jobs for them, with regard to determining whether a man is fit for ministry. If they have completed seminary, the conventional wisdom goes, they must have some "chops" that make them suitable as a pastor. He makes the following point about that:

What is needed is a clear understanding that seminaries are not presbyteries: they do not make any judgment on suitability for ministry; they simply teach the necessary technical theological skills at the appropriate level.

He concludes with a poignant reminder about achievement and potential vs. fitness and qualification for ministry:

An MDiv degree, a congregational vote, an `internal call' and an act of presbytery do not mean that a man is really called by God to be a minister.

This is much-needed re-thinking. I know that our presbytery has ordained men on these bases, when in fact several of us have had serious questions about whether they were truly ready to serve the church as pastors-- or whether we were setting them up (and their congregations as well) for potential devastation.

Read all of the posts here:
Some Questions and Thoughts on Ministerial Calls I
Some Questions and Thoughts on Ministerial Calls II

Moving far from home, part 2

2011-07-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

At our recent General Assembly I spoke with several friends who had moved a long way from "home" and family, and gleaned some interesting comments and reflections on their experiences. (Read part one here.)

Now let's consider a comment from "John" whose family is from Alabama, and who is now a pastor in California. Here's what John said:

"The best advice I received was from [a seminary professor] who said, 'you just need to negotiate into your terms of call that they will fly your whole family home once a year.' So we did-- and now there's a line-item in the church budget for $2,500 of airfare for my whole family to fly back!"

This is a great idea. Airfare is expensive enough for one or two, but John and his wife have several children. For most pastors, the cost would simply be prohibitive to think of paying for that every year, or even every other year. Or at very least, it might keep them from being able to afford other vacation time, as a couple or as a family.

With John's arrangement, however, they are free to simply not worry about the biggest part of the costs of visiting family. The first year they were there, John and his family flew back to Alabama around Christmas-- about six months after they had moved. Surely this was a great comfort, both to John's family and to their extended families.

The upside of this, among other things, is that the burden of traveling expenses is carried by neither John's family nor their parents or siblings. It's easy to think that extended family might simply travel out to see them in California, but that can get costly too (even if it is only one set of parents, with airfare for only two instead of five or six). This solution tempers that problem, at least a bit.

The downside, obviously, is that this represents a substantial financial commitment for the congregation. Some congregations may not be able to afford it. Others, while sympathetic, may not be willing to make such a large investment. (I would counter the latter, however, by pointing back to Brian's comment about how hard the decision can be to move so far from family, and suggesting that an unwilling approach in the short term may have unfavorable consequences in the longer term.)

On effective succession planning in pastoral ministry

2011-07-07T10:23:00.000-05:00

The question of effective succession planning in the church is a vital one, and yet it is usually one of the topics that a congregation-- even the leadership-- most often neglects and ignores.

Churches seem to settle quickly into the assumption that, now that they have a pastor, he's there for good! And some great churches have seen devastating results as a consequence of that neglect. On the other hand, the exceptions prove the rule here; think about the congregations (or even large ministries) that you know of that have had a strong, capable leader follow another, and go on to advance the existing ministry even further than their predecessor did. I can count on one hand those that come to my mind.

That's one reason why this Gospel Coalition article from Collin Hansen, "Gospel Integrity and Pastoral Succession," is so valuable.

Hansen holds out Tim Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan as a current example of effective succession planning. Few churches in our day have ministries as strong and with as great an impact as Redeemer, and few pastors are as recognizable as Keller. Yet Keller and the leadership of Redeemer have put in place a succession plan that spans the next 10 years, and surely lays a foundation for the future leaders to build upon. Hansen comments:

The succession plan corresponds with a larger ministry reorientation for Redeemer. For about 20 years, Redeemer grew as members invited their friends to hear the exceptional music and Keller’s compelling sermons. Without Keller as a draw, however, the church’s strategy will need to change. Church leaders and members will need to become more missional.

Hansen goes on to consider several other prominent examples, all learning from the foibles of others in church history who, great though the leaders were, failed to adequately consider the need for a strong succession plan.

Hansen concludes:

Succession isn’t simple. It isn’t smooth. It’s not often successful. Yet it’s a matter of gospel integrity. God doesn’t promise our churches will evermore yield wide influence through a preacher’s exceptional leadership. Surely, however, we can testify to his steadfast love by making more of Jesus Christ than ourselves. And that means planning ahead for generations who will never hear the great preacher’s voice.

Read the whole article here.

At long last

2011-07-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

Both of my long-time readers will know that, for quite some time, I've been working on a book that summarizes my research, my personal experiences, and other information about pastoral transition, particularly on the niche subject of transitioning from seminary into pastoral ministry.

That book, now seven years in the making, is finally out! From M.Div. to Rev.: making an effective transition from seminary into pastoral ministry, is finally available. It can be had in print and digital editions.

Because the book is published by Doulos Resources, naturally I would prefer that you buy it directly through the Doulos Resources eStore.

However, it is also available through the Covenant Seminary Bookstore, as well as through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble (if not immediately, then soon). Hopefully, more resellers (especially seminary bookstores) will be carrying it soon, as well.

Thanks to those of you who have supported the concept of this book. The wait is over! (Of course, now most of you are well-placed in ministry and your interest is merely theoretical...)

Trevin Wax on "11 Questions Every Pastor Should Ask"

2011-06-26T08:15:00.000-05:00

Author and LifeWay Christian Books editor Trevin Wax has an excellent post on his blog entitled, "11 Questions Every Pastor Should Ask."

His questions fall out into two general categories: About Preaching and About the Mission of the Church. In the first category, he touches on:

Whether my sermons pointing to the "big-picture" message of Scripture
Whether my message is distinctively a Christian/Gospel message
How I am applying God's Word for His people

In the second set of questions, he asks questions about:

The impact of my congregation in its context and community
Evangelism and reaching the lost with the Gospel
Making the best use of time and other resources

I think these are valuable questions that, as he put it, every pastor should ask-- but I would especially urge new pastors and recent seminary graduates to keep these questions frequently in mind, particularly during the first, formative years of pastoral ministry.

Read the whole post here.

Moving far from home, part 1

2011-06-17T19:21:00.000-05:00

At our denomination's General Assembly last week, I had the chance to speak with a few friends who have accepted pastoral calls a long way from "home." Over a few posts, I'll share some of their wisdom.

First let me say this: I define "a long way from home" as meaning either simply too far to drive, or far enough that it requires several days (3 whole days or more) of driving to get from where you live to where your extended family generally lives.

Also, a quick disclaimer: I realize that the question of "home" is relative for some, and it certainly is loaded with implications, spiritual and otherwise. Here I'm using it simply to mean where the larger part of your family is, whatever place (or places) that may be.

So, first up is "Brian" who grew up in South Carolina. Several years ago, Brian accepted a call to be a pastor in Colorado; when they do the drive, it takes his family 3-4 days of solid travel to get back "home."

Brian commented that the most difficult part has been this:

"When we first accepted the call, we made the decision to 'put hand to plow' and not look back. Our mistake was in thinking that was a one-time decision."

This is a powerful reflection. Brian elaborated, stating that the decision was one they kept making on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis. That being the case, it is easy to see how that would represent a regular struggle, individually and as a family.

Does that mean that a pastor cannot effectively minister in those circumstances? Not at all; in his years of ministry, Brian has been quite effective and a great asset to his congregation. But the struggle is there nevertheless.

How have they dealt with it? In Brian's case, they have driven back most years; by scheduling a week or more of family vacation after our denominational General Assembly, Brian's church is happy to cover most or all of the gas costs as an expense related to his involvement in the assembly, and yet he and his family also get to spend an extended period with their families. Often, his wife and children will spend the week of the assembly there, as well-- amounting to even more time with their relatives.

This arrangement is a great solution. Of course, it is contingent on the congregation being strongly committed to Brian's attendance at the General Assembly all or most years, which may not be a commitment that every congregation is able or willing to make.

General Assembly seminar

2011-06-07T14:07:00.000-05:00

If you're at the PCA's General Assembly this week, I'd like to invite you to consider attending my seminar tomorrow (Wednesday) morning on "What Is Biblical Church Membership?"

The seminar will be loosely based on the topic of my booklet, Grafted Into The Vine: rethinking biblical church membership-- though the content will be quite different (and different from last year's seminar as well).

The seminar is at 8am, and is tentatively scheduled for Meeting Room(s) 4A&B. I hope to see you there!

(PS: many of the Doulos Resources titles will also be available through the PCA CE&P Bookstore, including Grafted Into The Vine.)

Eugene Peterson on being a pastor

2011-06-02T13:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a video of a recent interview with Eugene Peterson, commenting on what it means to be a pastor:

Watch the full episode. See more Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

The dirty secret of churches wearing out pastors

2011-05-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

My son Jack goes through socks at a preternatural rate. One reason why is because he wears them, without shoes, all over the place-- in the yard, down the street, in the car. The other day I explained to him how sand and dirt working into the fibers of his socks aggressively advances the early demise of his socks, hoping this would stem the tide of our rising sock budget line.

I thought of that this morning as I read this piece from pastor and blogger David Foster (HT: Mark). Pastor Foster does a great job of exposing what he calls the "dirtiest little secret" of the American church:

"that we regularly, relentlessly, and without mercy beat-up, chew-up and spit-out our leaders."

Rev. Foster correctly diagnoses (and describes, more than I've reproduced here) five ways that many churches abuse their pastors:

We starve them.
We have outrageously unreasonable expectations of our leaders.
We strip them of power.
We let pretend leaders bully them.
We leave them in financial peril.

While there are plenty of exceptions to Rev. Foster's list above (my congregation, for one, has largely avoided all of them-- of which I am quite grateful!), I know too many friends and (sometimes former) colleagues who have been burned by congregations in exactly these ways, some of whom have left the ministry as a result-- prematurely, in my estimation.

Quite pastorally, Pastor Foster also offers five well-articulated antidotes to his diagnosis in the same post:

Let's pay them a livable wage.
Encourage them.
Give them time off for vacation, for training, for restoration.
Stop the complaints you hear about them at their source.
Give them a safety net.

(Again, he elaborates on these much more than I have represented here.)

Even those congregations that don't regularly fall into the traps of the first five would do well to regularly re-evaluate their diligent attention to these five solutions. And congregations that are in transition would do very well to take a hard look at both lists; what an opportunity, in this season of change that is already upon you, to make healthy changes for the better!

I would encourage every church member, and especially every church leader, to read David Foster's blog post.

eBooks survey

2011-04-16T14:25:00.000-05:00

Grafted Into The Vine

2011-04-07T11:41:00.000-05:00

I recently had another book (or booklet, actually) come out; this one is called Grafted Into The Vine: rethinking biblical church membership. It's available for only $3.75 in print, or a mere 99¢ as a digital/eBook.

Here's what author and professor T. David Gordon (Why Johnny Can't Preach, Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns) said about my booklet:

"This volume clearly, gently, and biblically addresses why believers should care about and be members of Christ's visible church on earth. It is convincing without being argumentative, and instructive without being pedantic. Thoughtful Christians will be rewarded for the small amount of effort it takes to read this good book."

The book is available through the Doulos Resources eStore, or via Amazon and other outlets. I'd be really grateful if you would check it out! (Maybe even "like" it on Amazon, and/or leave a review!)

Singleness in ministry and transition

2011-03-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

Pastoral transition made the NY Times again-- this time, talking about how difficult it is for a single man to find a call as a pastor.

A long time ago, I blogged briefly about a couple of struggles that singles might face (see "Singleness AND Carelessness?"); my aim, however, was not to fortify the underlying rationale that makes it difficult for singles in ministry, but to point it out as something that singles would be wise to be aware of. According the the Times piece, these difficulties still remain-- and if anything, they are getting stronger.

The article focuses on Mark Almlie, a pastor (age 37, never married) who is ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church and has experience as a pastor. Mr. Almlie, who has also written on this topic for Christianity Today's popular blog Out of Ur (Are We Afraid of Single Pastors? and part two) argues that, biblically, singleness is equal, if not preferable, to marriage as a quality in a future pastor:

Our married pastors need to preach the goodness of singleness in accord with 1 Corinthians 7 (consider emailing this post to your senior pastor). Denominations should write position papers affirming singleness as equally biblical as marriage. And pastoral search committees need to stop listing marriage as a requirement in their job applications.

Finally, prominent Evangelicals concerned about the importance of marriage need to avoid obscuring the importance of singleness. Albert Mohler (President of the Southern Baptist Seminary) recently wrote: “From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible assumes that marriage is normative for human beings.”1 The Bible makes no such assumption. In 1 Corinthians 7, for instance, Paul argues that both marriage and singleness are normative for Christians.[ref.]

I don't disagree that singleness has its own dignity, nor that Paul is arguing that singleness has its advantages when it comes to ministry; in my own experience, I remember being a single Youth Pastor and reveling in my freedom to devote as much time as I wanted to my ministry pursuits (and, likewise, reflecting some years later on how marriage could sometimes require turning aside from ministry for family matters, and seeing the validation of Paul's argument). Neither do I disagree that the church in general has done a disservice to singles, and made them to feel like second-class members. I'm certain that I have participated in that, in spite of my heightened sensitivity from my sister's long-time singleness.

But I don't fully agree with Mr. Almlie's exegesis of 1 Corinthians 7; I don't believe that Paul is arguing (contra a huge chunk of the rest of Scripture) that singleness is equal to marriage and normative for a believer. Frankly, I think he takes that point too far, and perhaps discredits himself in so doing. While some Christians are obviously single, and while this shouldn't leave them without a sense of belonging or place in the community of Christ's church, Scripture does teach that marriage is normative. If marriage is normative, then singleness cannot be-- for they are clear opposites.

However, he has a solid point when it comes to the biblical rationale (or total absence of one) for excluding singles as viable candidates for a given pastoral position. And I think Mr. Almlie's points to that end are solid and valuable:
The bottom line is that it is not about being single or married. It’s about being called and gifted by the Spirit to minister to people both like and unlike us (race, gender, marital status, etc). I plead with search committees everywhere to reflect on the implications of 1 Corinthians 7 before overlooking your next single pastoral candidate. They deserve to be evaluated on their excellence, not their marital status.[ref.]

What's interesting is just how uniformly pervasive this problem is. In all of the church profiles and other documentation concerning what sort of candidates a congregation will consider-- in all of the ones that I have seen-- I can't remember ever seeing one that checked single as a preference, or even that indicated no preference. All of them indicate a desire for a married man, and most prefer "married with children".

Some of this is due to poor biblical exegesis: verses such as 1 Timothy 3:2, which speaks of an Elder being a "one-woman man" (as a fairly literal translation) leave many with the assumption that the prescriptive texts about the qualifications of officers require that he be married. This rules out widows, also-- can you envision a man stepping down as pastor solely because his wife passed away? Oh, and it also rules out Paul and Jesus.

Some of it is due to really lame reasons and excuses offered by inconsistent thinking and irrational fear. Mr. Almlie testifies to his own experience here:
When I press people on why they think single pastors are treated with suspicion, 99 percent of the time I get a list of fears rather than actual evidence:
“What if he’s gay?”
“What if he flirts with all the single women at church?”
“What if he tries to steal a married woman for himself?”
“There must be something wrong with him because he’s single.”
“Aren’t single pastors more likely to molest our children?”[ref.]

Ironically, as Matt Steen (another single pastor) points out, all of these can be struggles for married men, just as much as for single men. "Many interviewers seemed to fear that he might 'do something stupid, like get involved with a student,' he said. 'I told them that I understand the concern, but that I’ve seen married pastors make the same mistakes.'”^[ref.]

Some of the problem is due, sadly, to a notion that a married pastor is a "two-for-one" bargain, and an unrealistic model for congregations. Witness the example I posted about a few months ago: "Wife to Assist". From the Times piece again: “Sometimes, parishioners have an unspoken preference for a happily married male with a wife who does not work outside the home,” Cynthia Woolever, research director at U.S. Congregations, wrote in a 2009 article. “She also volunteers at the church while raising ‘wholesome and polite children.’ ”^[ref.]

Whatever the root, it's a problem that needs to be rooted out. Search Committees, take note!

Ministry Reality Check

2011-03-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

A friend recently passed along the link to this article, from the ChurchLeaders.com website: "Death by Ministry" by Eugene Cho.

There is a lot to agree with in this article, and it certainly portrays some of the great difficulties of ministry very accurately. What I love, though, is Cho's call to love, care for, and pray for pastors. His goal isn't simply to complain and say, "look how tough pastoral ministry is!" That would serve little purpose, and might even be sinful (Philippians 2:14-16).

No, Cho wants to urge congregations AND pastors to devote themselves to healthy ministry. Here's what he says toward the end:

"Churches must seek to honor and care for their pastors and staff and build healthy structures to ensure such care. Similarly, pastors and their families must make choices to be holistically healthy! We must rest, Sabbath, enjoy God, love the Scriptures not simply for the sake of sermon preparations, be in deep friendships and community, exercise, work on our jump shot, continue to be a reader and learner, love and honor our spouses, nurture our children, laugh and have fun, eat healthy and drink good refreshments [use your imagination here], examine and repent of any possible addictions, and [add your contribution here]."

This is great advice-- and I'd love to see more search committees folding a self-examination step into their search process, wherein they took stock of these kinds of questions.

At the same time, pastors and especially seminarians aspiring to be pastors would do well to read this article as a reality check of how difficult ministry can (in some ways) be.

From M.Div. to Rev. -- endorsement #3

2011-03-11T08:43:00.000-06:00

As my 10s of readers will surely know by now, my book From M.Div. to Rev.: making an effective transition from seminary into pastoral ministry will be published later this year (probably in the summer) by Doulos Resources. I posted my first endorsement from Dr. Rod Culbertson of Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte) back in January, and my second endorsement from Bishop Will Willimon in February.

My friend Mark Dalbey sent along another endorsement. Mark's endorsement is so valuable to me, not only because he is my friend, but also because he is VP of Academics and Faculty Development and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. When I was a student there, Mark taught the elective class on "Candidating and Transition into Ministry" and several times honored me with an invitation to lecture on this material as part of that class.

Here is Mark's endorsement:

"I have been looking for this book for over a decade. Finally it has been written. Ed Eubanks has captured and written what every seminary student seeking a ministry call needs to discover. The biblical and theological foundation and perspective are strong. The sensitivity to the range of struggles and challenges a candidate for a ministry position goes through is very pastoral. The extremely practical and detailed information from start to finish is incredibly helpful. This is the precious gem that has been sought after by many for a long time. I heartily recommend it to seminary students. It will also be very helpful to already ordained pastors seeking subsequent calls after their first call."

Search Committees' evaluation of sermons

2011-03-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

I mentioned Pastor Chris Brauns, whose recent book When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search I have been so impressed with, about a month ago. Chris recently posted an article on the Gospel Coalition website entitled, "Churches Looking for a Pastor Should Watch for More Than the Splash."

The article is excellent, and highlights one of the real struggles that surely most Search Committees face: how should a candidate's sermon be evaluated?

Chris offers four great questions, and describes what to look for in each. His questions are:

Did the sermon preach a bullet?
Did the sermon preach a biblical bullet?
Did the sermon fire a biblical bullet?
Did the sermon fire a biblical bullet aimed at the life of the listener?

The summaries of the questions are taken from his book, and these are really good questions for sermon evaluation. Great stuff, Chris!

Read about Chris's excellent recommendations for evaluating sermons in his article, "Churches Looking for a Pastor Should Watch for More Than the Splash."

Pastoral finances

2011-02-28T14:45:00.000-06:00

Pastors-- and pastors-in-training-- who are westling with matters financial would do well to visit this website: Pastor Personal Finance.com.

This is a website and blog that is passionate about strengthening and informing pastors in their financial life in a similar way that this site is about pastoral transition. There is great help here about budgeting, debt, tax-related concerns, financial issues unique to pastors, bi-vocational ministry, and other topics.

The site is run by a pastor, and he is quick to disclaim any expertise, legal or otherwise, related to finances, tax law, or money management. Nevertheless, it is clear that this pastor has invested a lot of study, research, and thought toward this important category of information.

Pastoral Burnout

2011-02-21T07:15:00.000-06:00

The following is a reflection from Ricky Jones, a fellow PCA pastor. It is reprinted here with his permission.

________________________________________

I have spent the past few months thinking almost exclusively about burnout. Watching my friends spin out of control and seeing ministers more gifted than I leave the ministry frightened me. Plus, knowing my own heart and feeling the pressure and exhaustion of the past five years has forced me to wonder how much longer I could go on.

What makes burnout such a big deal for pastors? Why don’t I see it in other professions?

Finally, last week it hit me. If a dentist burns out on his job, he can turn away from it, or compartmentalize it with no detriment to his soul. But a minister can’t do that. There is only one source of true life and revival. Jesus is the only fountain of living water; there is no other stream.

When Jesus seems more like your boss than your savior, he no longer provides rest. When reading the bible, rehearsing the gospel and praying feel like drudgery, there remains no other place to go for true rest. You can force your wife to restore you, but she will fail and you will resent her. You can divert yourself with crosswords or puzzles, but the work you put off only increases as does your desire to escape it. Bored, exhausted, resentful and unwilling to turn to Christ, the only respites left lead to death: alcohol, porn, or worse.

What is the answer? Well what attitude got into this mess in the first place?

Luke 15:27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

Somewhere along the way, I felt like the only one who really cared about the church. I started being the responsible one bearing all the weight. Now, for all these years I have served God without disobeying, and I never was given a time to celebrate. No one really noticed. God stopped being my loving father and started being my boss.

So what is the way out? I don’t know for sure, hopefully I’ll know more this time next year. But right now I know where it starts. It starts with repentance, asking God to forgive me for counting the blood of Christ a small thing. I need him to forgive me for considering the ministry a burden and not a wonderful blessing. I need Him to forgive this self righteous pharisee.

A funny thing happens when I repent like this. God stops feeling like my boss and starts being my redeemer again. Prayer doesn’t feel like work, but more like my only hope. And Jesus becomes this dead man’s only source of life again.

Help Doulos Resources

2011-02-16T11:59:00.000-06:00

For the last 2+ years, this blog has been hosted by and associated with Doulos Resources, something of a "parent ministry" for my work in researching and reflecting on pastoral transition. During that time, Doulos Resources has grown and expanded in surprising ways!

During that time also, I've received a number of e-mails and phone calls about pastoral transition. I've had the blessing and privilege of encouraging pastors and seminarians in their candidacy and placement into a new pastoral call. I have counseled with those considering transition. I've helped search committees with the "big picture" and also been able to help some make connections with candidates they eventually called. It is such an honor to serve Christ's church and the pastors He has called to minister to His church in this way.

Doulos Resources is facing some financial need, and therefore is conducting a small fundraising campaign. If you have been helped by the ministry of this blog, or if you think it helpful for others, please consider supporting Doulos Resources financially. Any amount-- seriously, ANY AMOUNT-- will help.

Here's more information about the fundraising campaign.

Here's a quick way to contribute, and to see the progress of the campaign:

(If you can't see the neat widget, please click here.)

From M.Div. to Rev. -- endorsement #2

2011-02-10T10:27:00.000-06:00

As I've mentioned before, my book From M.Div. to Rev.: making an effective transition from seminary into pastoral ministry will be published later this year (probably in the summer) by Doulos Resources. I've begun to receive endorsements from those who have gotten an advance look at the book, and I posted my first endorsement from Dr. Rod Culbertson of Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte) back in January.

I received my second endorsement recently, this time from Dr. Will Willimon. Dr. Willimon is an author, and a Bishop in the United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL. He is a former professor of Duke Divinity School, and served as the Dean of the Chapel at Duke as well. He has also served several congregations as a Pastor. I'm so honored by Dr. Willimon's words:

Here is a book full of wisdom and practical advice for new pastors making the most important transition of their ministry – the move from thinking about ministry in seminary to practicing ministry in the parish. Ed Eubanks has poured his great experience and theologically informed insights into this lively look at the crucial first days of ministry. I highly recommend this very helpful book.

When the Word Leads Your Pastor Search

2011-02-05T09:45:00.000-06:00

There is precious-little good information guiding search teams and pulpit committees through the process in a godly, biblical way. That's why I'm very interested in this new book by Chris Brauns, entitled When the Word Leads Your Pastor Search.

From everything I've seen (including a handful of reviews on the web), it appears to be a valuable and much-needed resource for search committees, Sessions/boards, and other leaders as they labor in congregations that are undergoing a pastoral search process. Brauns's focus on biblical principles for guiding the search process (and for selecting proper candidates to present to congregations) is refreshing in a time when the criteria often seem careless or arbitrary.

I've read part of the book, and look forward to the rest. You can download a free chapter at the book's website, or get a copy on Amazon. (The Kindle edition is only $5.99!)

Search Committees: take note!

How to be a member of the clergy

2011-01-26T08:41:00.000-06:00

Here's another very funny cartoon from the wonderful mind of Dave Walker (see his Cartoon Church Blog for more):

From M.Div. to Rev.-- first endorsement

2011-01-12T08:43:00.000-06:00

You may be aware that much of the content of this blog will soon be a book, entitled From M.Div. to Rev.: making an effective transition from seminary into pastoral ministry. The book should be out later this year.

The first endorsement for the book has come in, from Dr. Rod Culbertson, Jr., who is Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Dean of Student Development, and Director of the Institute for Reformed Campus Ministry at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. Here's Dr. Culbertson's endorsement:

“Ed Eubanks has provided a much needed resource for aspiring ministers, one which is thorough, comprehensive and extraordinarily practical. If you are on the verge of graduating from seminary and pursuing a call to the ministry you will find From M.Div. to Rev.: making an effective transition from seminary into pastoral ministry invaluable. I highly recommend it!”